st202 gt Import dials/mileage question.. Options

[Bludge]

Hi all,

I used to have a 1.8 celica a while back, and i have been looking to buy another one on the cheap for a bit of fun as a second car.

I went to look at one today that has been listed as a 2.0 gt jap import.

The car seems in good nick for the age and the price (around £350), mechanically it seems in reasonable shape but my worry is the mileage. the clock reads about 235k, and the guy says its in km, but the speedo is reading in mph on the outside ring and kph in the inside in smaller font. also i noticed that the speedo only goes up to 110mph.

Surely that cant be correct for a jap import gt? its got the ss-II engine in it and its got a lot more poke then my old 1.8, but im a bit worried about the mileage thing.

All i can think is that the dials may have been replaced with the wrong sort? as im sure its not the 115bhp SS-I engine in it.

If anyone can offer up any advice that would be great. Im swaying towards buying it as its cheap and cheerful.

Thanks!

[malpaso]

I'm bit confused from what you say... first few facts:

- all Japan imports have so called limiter at 180km (111miles per hour)
- all JDM imports in UK must have "converted" speedo to show speed in miles, not kms (as JDM imports showing from factory). You can not pass MOT w/o this converter...

and that is confusing part. what would make sense:

a) you have fresh JDM import (not registered in UK yet), speed limit at 180km, your mileage is in kms
b) you have JDM import (already registered in UK), speed limit at 180miles (because of converter), your mileage is mixture of kms and miles.

What you describe is something between. Do you have some paper when car was imported and what was mileage?

EDIT: see below my speedo from also Japan imported Celica. Gauge has sticker saying "MPH" because has installed that km-mile converter and driving 140miler per hour (225km per hour) that proves what wrote about that limiter (it is at 180miles not kms with that converter). About mileage. That 139148 is part in kms and part miles. Car was imported to UK when speedo had like 119000 so it is 119000kms + 20148miles. If you want exact mileage you must convert that 119000 to miles first = 73943. That means the car has in fact 73943+20148=94091miles. I hope it is explained well enough



This post has been edited by malpaso: Feb 19, 2013 - 8:04 AM

[Bludge]

Ah right, i didnt know about the limiter or the converted speedo. thanks for that.

I didnt look through the paperwork to find the import date. i was under the impression that if its showing the mileage in km, then the speedo would be in km too.

So are you saying that if the speedo is converted to show mph when converted, that the clock will also then show the mileage in mph yeah? so it would have been km until it was regestered and converted in the UK, and miles from there onwards. Have i understood that correctly?

Thanks for the help.

[malpaso]

Ah right, i didnt know about the limiter or the converted speedo. thanks for that.

I didnt look through the paperwork to find the import date. i was under the impression that if its showing the mileage in km, then the speedo would be in km too.

So are you saying that if the speedo is converted to show mph when converted, that the clock will also then show the mileage in mph yeah? so it would have been km until it was regestered and converted in the UK, and miles from there onwards. Have i understood that correctly?

Thanks for the help.

sorry... I have edited first post to explain it better. Hope this helps a bit more

EDIT: see below my speedo from also Japan imported Celica. Gauge has sticker saying "MPH" because has installed that km-mile converter and driving 140miler per hour (225km per hour) that proves what wrote about that limiter (it is at 180miles not kms with that converter). About mileage. That 139148 is part in kms and part miles. Car was imported to UK when speedo had like 119000 so it is 119000kms + 20148miles. If you want exact mileage you must convert that 119000 to miles first = 73943. That means the car has in fact 73943+20148=94091miles. I hope it is explained well enough

[Bludge]

well the speedo on the one i looked at looked more like the one in the link, but only went up to 110mph instead of 160.



is it likely the dials have been replaced with the wrong ones?

I am understanding the miles and km on the odometer, but not so much the limiter thing!

[malpaso]

well the speedo on the one i looked at looked more like the one in the link, but only went up to 110mph instead of 160.



is it likely the dials have been replaced with the wrong ones?

I am understanding the miles and km on the odometer, but not so much the limiter thing!

Easy . Imported car has limit at 180km (it is law in Japan). That is not an issue for UK lasw at all in fact. The issue is for UK is car is showing and counting speed in kilometers. Not miles. So there are for sale "converters" http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOYOTA-SPEEDO-CONV...H-/330875549309 you simply install it to the car and it makes (somehow) car showing and counting not kilometerr but miles. It is changing some ration. Nothing else. That means the car still has the limiter active at 180. But this time it is at 180miles. Not 180kms. That is the trick.

Now that white speedo. It is just white face for cluster from lockwood company. Nothing else. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Celica-GT4-...l-/140917582759 . They can make anything you want. You can use this as "design option" but it works only if you have that "converter" installed. W/o that "converter" it is useless (in design as shown).

[Bludge]

Easy . Imported car has limit at 180km (it is law in Japan). That is not an issue for UK lasw at all in fact. The issue is for UK is car is showing and counting speed in kilometers. Not miles. So there are for sale "converters" http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOYOTA-SPEEDO-CONV...H-/330875549309 you simply install it to the car and it makes (somehow) car showing and counting not kilometerr but miles. It is changing some ration. Nothing else. That means the car still has the limiter active at 180. But this time it is at 180miles. Not 180kms. That is the trick.

Ok, i understand that now, thanks. thats what i thought you ment but wasnt too sure!

Now that white speedo. It is just white face for cluster from lockwood company. Nothing else. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Celica-GT4-...l-/140917582759 . They can make anything you want. You can use this as "design option" but it works only if you have that "converter" installed. W/o that "converter" it is useless (in design as shown).

Yeah i realise its a different design, but what i found strange is that the speedo in the car reads 110 as the top speed, but the specs for the st202 state a top speed of about 140mph, is that correct? so if the dial reads a top of 110, if i do anyhting over that im not gonna know what the speed is, see what i mean? or will it mean that 110mph showing on the dial will actually be nearer the 140mph top speed, and thus the clock will be showing the wrong speeds all the way round?

So im just wondering what effect the dial will have on the car, if anything. or if its just a dial from a different model/car and will have no overall effect other then not being able to read a speed over 110mph.

(sorry if im not being very clear here, im not that great at explaining things! really appreciate all the help though)

[Malek]

Easy . Imported car has limit at 180km (it is law in Japan). That is not an issue for UK lasw at all in fact. The issue is for UK is car is showing and counting speed in kilometers. Not miles. So there are for sale "converters" http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOYOTA-SPEEDO-CONV...H-/330875549309 you simply install it to the car and it makes (somehow) car showing and counting not kilometerr but miles. It is changing some ration. Nothing else. That means the car still has the limiter active at 180. But this time it is at 180miles. Not 180kms. That is the trick.

Now that white speedo. It is just white face for cluster from lockwood company. Nothing else. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Toyota-Celica-GT4-...l-/140917582759 . They can make anything you want. You can use this as "design option" but it works only if you have that "converter" installed. W/o that "converter" it is useless (in design as shown).

Sweet! That relieves my concern of using the GT4 gauge cluster with my swap. Thank you!

Carry on

[Wolfsting]

I also own a st202 import and the speedo goes up to 110mph just like yours, its all stock and normal i think because its limited to that speed in japan, the mileometer reads in km
Also your car should have the 3S-GE engine in hopefully which makes 170ish hp, should be a sticker in the bonnet under the wipers which says the engine code

This post has been edited by Wolfsting: Feb 19, 2013 - 4:25 PM

[malpaso]

So im just wondering what effect the dial will have on the car, if anything. or if its just a dial from a different model/car and will have no overall effect other then not being able to read a speed over 110mph.

(sorry if im not being very clear here, im not that great at explaining things! really appreciate all the help though)

no worries... I remember European ST has speedo up to 240km... GT and GT-four up to 280km. UK market once has (the same as for USA) two scales. When you install any other dial it will just read data and show correct speed. You do not need to change whole cluster. Just that middle speed gauge if you want. It is easy. For example I swapped that 180 JDM speedo for TRD one with 300km scale and no problem . It is showing correct speed. Ability to read the speed has nothing to do with cluster. ECU gives you that limit.

This post has been edited by malpaso: Feb 19, 2013 - 4:32 PM

[Bludge]

Thats great, thanks for the replys guys, very helpful!

Not too sure if i will go for the car or not, it crunches into 3rd gear. the guy says its got the wrong gearbox oil in it but im guessing it could be the synchro ring.
Also the insurance is a killer. it would be a second car so not sure if i will be able to afford it.